Tuesday, July 29, 2014

After an exhausting and long day roaming outside , I was too tired to cook a dinner .We also didn't want to eat outside as we were eating out the entire day and longed for a simple home food.I was running out of idli/dosa batter as well.So I landed up making this instant and healthy version of normal rava dosa.The batter for this whole wheat rava dosa must be slightly thicker than that of rava dosa.It tastes great with any chutney or idli podi.

Water-2 cups( if batter is too thick add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup water )

Jeera-1 tsp

Crushed pepper(optional)-1 tsp

Chopped green chillies-2 nos

Chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves- few strings each

Finely chopped big onion- 1 no

Hing-1/2 tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil- few tsp to prepare dosa

Procedure:

1. Mix all the above ingredients to a batter which is thinner than normal dosa batter and thicker than normal rava dosa batter.make sure no lumps are there in tha batter.

2.Leave a standing time of 10 mins for the batter.

3. Make dosas on a iron tawa or non-stick tawa with a tsp of oil.Don't make it too thin.

4.Turn it and let it be there for another min.Serve hot with chutney and sambar or idli podi.

Tips:*You can substitute half a cup of water with sour curd or buttermilk.*Adjust water level so that the batter is a little thicker than normal rava dosa batter.*Please add jeera,hing,coriander and curry leaves and green chillies for a nice flavour ,otherwise the smell of whole wheat flour will be overpowering.

Monday, July 28, 2014

I grew up eating Ennai Kathrikai at home which is a dry curry where the slit brinjals stuffed with Kari podi(dania,red chillies,urad dal and gram dal - roasted and grounded to a coarse powder)are shallow fried in oil. My mother makes it really good. I first tasted Ennai Kathrikai khuzhambu when I went for a holiday trip to masinagudi. I stayed in a resort where the cook prepared this siah. It tasted heavenly with both rice and chapathi. The dish made was spicy and made in Andhra style with peanuts and sesame paste.

I wanted to find this recipe for a long time.I did a lot of research on its ingredients and cooking specifications so as to make changes to fine tune the recipe. I was finally successful in preparing the khuzhambu which was almost same as that of the dish made by the cook in masinagudi. From that day, this khuzhambu is a regular one on our weekend menu at home whenever we get bored of the usual rasam and sambar. It tastes superb with hot rice and any vegetable curry. The curry can be refrigerated and used for the next day and quite interestingly I found that it's taste increases with time, the more the brinjals are soaked in curry, the better they taste. I mean it tastes best after few hours of making it. Though the process is little bit long, it's worth every step.

Serves:3

Preparation time :35 mins

Ingredients:

Purple brinjals:6-8 nos ( please pick uniform sized brinjals)

Chopped big onion-1 no

Tamarind- 1 lemon size

Chopped tomato-1 no

Small onions-10 nos

Garlic-5 cloves

Curry leaves- few bunch

Peanuts - 2 tbsp

Sesame seeds- 2 tsp

Poppy seeds-2 tsp

Red chillies-8 to 10 nos

Dhania seeds-2 tsp

Jeera and fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp each

Peppercorns-1 tsp

Grated coconut-2 tbsp

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Hing- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil - 5 tbsp

Jaggery-1 tsp( optional)

To temper:

Mustard -1 tsp

Fenugreek -1/2 tsp

Curry leaves -1 string

Red chilli-1

Procedure:

1. In a tbsp of oil , roast peanuts,dhania,red chillies ,peppercorns,jeera and fenugreek and keep it aside.Now in the same kadai add sesame and poppy seeds and roast them till they splutter and keep them aside with the above roasted ingredients.(below picture shows ingredients before roasting)

2.In the same kadai ,add small onion,garlic and curry leaves and sauté well. Then add tomatoes and mix well till they become soft.

3.Switch off the flame and grind all the roasted ingredients in step 1 and 2 along with 2 tbsp of grated coconut to a fine paste.

4. Slit the brinjals lengthwise such that they don't fall apart completely. Make sure to remove the stalk of brinjals.

5. Take a spoon of the ground paste and carefully fill the slit brinjals.

6.In a non -stick kadai add 2 tbsp of oil and place all the stuffed brinjals in it and close the Kadai with a lid.

7.Reduce the flame as well. After few mins open the lid and carefully turn the brinjals so that they get roasted on the other side as well.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

A quick and an easy meal and can be prepared in a jiffy.It is an ideal lunchbox recipe as well.The coriander rice was so flavourful and we all relished it a lot. My son always likes pulao and because of him I used basmati rice and whole garam masala (cinnamon,clove,bay leaf and cardamom ) for tempering,so that it gives a pulao touch to this coriander rice. Otherwise it would taste great even without the whole garam masala or basmati rice.

You can use your normal boiled rice to make this dish.I added some peas also to compliment the color of the coriander rice.It tasted heavenly with a simple carrot raita.The same recipe can be prepared instantly with the green chutney I mentioned in my previous post. I have given below how to prepare from the green chutney (made at home and refrigerated)as well.

Preparation time : 15 mins

Serves:2

Ingredients:

Basmati rice-11/4 cup

Green peas-1/4 cup(optional ,I used frozen green peas)

Big onion -1(chopped)

Oil-2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

To grind to a paste:

Fresh coriander leaves-1 small bunch

Mint leaves-15 to 20 leaves approximately

Green chillies-2(my green chillies were super spicy and hot.Adjust according to your need)

Tamarind-1 inch piece

Ginger-1 inch

Garlic-4 cloves

For tempering:

Cinnamon stick 1 inch- 1 no

Cloves-2

Cardamom -2

Bay leaves-2

Procedure:

I)Normal method:

1.Soak the basmati rice in 2 cups of water for 20 mins.

2.Heat oil in a cooker and add the tempering ingredients and sauté till nice aroma arises.

3.Add chopped onions and salt and mix well till the onions turns transparent.

4.Add the ground paste and sauté till the raw smell goes off.

5.Add green peas and soaked basmati rice along with the water and mix well and close the cooker lid and cook for 3 whistles and switch off.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Well,I like this green chutney for it tastes really chatpata and has a shelf life of one week when stored in fridge. Also it has multipurpose use in my kitchen. I used to love the sandwiches with green chutney which one of classmate bought for lunch at college. When asked for the recipe , she told me roughly that it has mint, coriander leaves, green chillies, onion and lemon juice.

A few years later, when I tried this at home, it was a real flop as it had some bitterness and no one liked it. So I dropped the idea of making these chutney sandwiches at home and ate it outside at food joints.

Few months ago, a neighbor of mine told that the chutney has more of coriander and only a few leaves of mint and then it striked me that I added more mint and less coriander when I tried for the first time. I had finally found the reason for its bitterness and raw taste. Once i corrected my ingredients the green chutney came awesome and everyone liked it a lot. Now, I make it often and store in the refrigerator. It is easy to prepare too.

I make green chutney sandwiches. I also use this chutney as a side dish for idli or as a dip for chaat items (like cutlets,samosa, bhelpuri etc.) I also make instant coriander rice out of it. A spoon of this chutney when added to the white vegetable kurma also tastes heavenly. Here goes the recipe for my green chutney. Soon in the following week I will post how this green chutney can be used for lot of recipes mentioned above.

Preparation time:5 mins

serves:2

Ingredients:

Fresh coriander leaves-1 small bunch

Green Chillies-3(my green chillies were super hot so i added 3,increase or decrease based on your need and chilli's heat)

Mint leaves-10 to 12 leaves

Tamarind -1 small gooseberry sized ball

Jaggery-1/2 tsp

Salt-to taste

Procedure:

1.Clean the fresh coriander and mint leaves and grind all the above mentioned ingredients in to a fine paste.

2.Store it in an air tight container and refrigerate for up to 5-7 days and use as needed.

3.Always use a clean and dry spoon to take the chutney.Otherwise the shelf life will be less.

4.Have it in a veg sandwich or as a dip or as a side dish for Idli/Dosa.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

A perfect side dish for chappathis or dosa.It is also very nutritious because we add different colored vegetables.I make different versions of vegetable kurmas and this one is a authentic Tamil Nadu style kurma which has coconut ,poppy seeds and saunf paste.Goes great with chapathis , uthappams, appams and idiappams.

Serves:3

Preparation time:20 minutes

Ingredients:

Chopped mixed vegetables(carrot,beans,potato,cauliflower,peas)-1 cup

Garlic Pods-5 nos

Ginger-1 inch piece

Cloves and cardamom - 2 nos each

Cinnamon- 1inch piece 2 nos

Onion(big size chopped)-1 no

Tomato chopped- 1 no

Oil- 2 tbsp

Salt-to taste

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Garam masala-1/2 tsp

Green chillies-2 no s

Chilli powder-1 tsp(adjust according to your need)

Fresh coriander leaves- to garnish

Grind to a paste:

Grated coconut -2 tbsp

Saunf-1/2 tsp

Poppy seeds( soaked)-1 tsp

Cashews(optional)-4 nos

Procedure:

1.Grind ginger and garlic to a paste.

2.Heat oil in a Kadai and add cinnamon,cloves and cardamom and mix till nice aroma arises.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Making a side dish for chapathi is not easy when you make chapathi daily.So I try to mix and match vegetables and legumes.One such delectable combination is potato and rajma. Rajma is very nutritious and has a lot of protein which is very essential for growing children.My son liked this dish a lot as I paired two of his most favorite ingredients-potato and rajma. This time I used Sabji masala instead of garam masala as the flavors in sabji masala are subtle and can be used in any curry for chapathi daily .If you don't have one,you can very well add garam masala and it tastes awesome with it as well.

chilli powder-1 tsp(In my house we like it to be less hot,if you want add more )

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

Sabji masala(or garam masala)-1 tsp

Kasuri methi(optional)-1 tsp

Fresh coriander leaves-to garnish

oil-2 tbsp

salt-to taste

Procedure:

1.Grind onion,ginger and garlic to a fine paste.

2.Heat oil in a kadai and add the above ground paste.Saute till the raw smell goes.

3.Add salt,turmeric powder and chilli powder to the above mixture.

4.After a minute add pureed tomato(grind 1 tomato in the mixer ) and mix well.After the tomato has cooked well,add cooked rajma ,boiled and diced potato and sabji masala to the gravy.Simmer and close the kadai with a lid.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

My son prefers dosa as breakfast almost everyday. So it is mandatory for me to try something different in it either by adding ingredients in the batter or adding some topping to it.Also I try to include a vegetable in the chutney. Here I have presented mini uthappams with peerkanga thogaiyal ( ridge gourd chutney) and idli podi.These uthappams looks very appealing as there are different colors in the toppings.These uthappams are perfect for a lunchbox as well .

Ingredients :

Dosa batter -500g

Chopped small onion - 10 nos

Chppped Carrot( really small)- 1 no

Fresh corriander leaves finely chopped - 1 small bunch

Idli podi to garnish on top of uthappams

Ghee or oil- for dosa

Procedure:

1. Heat the dosa pan.

2. Take some dosa batter and pour on to the pan into small and thick dosas.

3. Pour a spoon of ghee or oil around each dosa.

4. Add small onion and spread it evenly on one dosa.Similarly spread carrot and chopped corriander leaves on separate dosas.

5. Sprinkle idli podi on each dosa and turn every dosa . This adds flavor and salt to toppings as well.

6.Once they are done, remove from the pan and serve hot with podi or with any chutney of your choice.

I am not a huge fan of pasta but I eat it occasionally .My husband and kid likes it so much that forced me to try this recipe at home. It is very simple but really very easy to make and is ready in 20 minutes.If you don't get the colored peppers you can add sweet corn kernels and diced carrots. I dint have olive oil or cheese at home when I made this. Still the results were superb.The dried herbs are a must for a real pasta flavor.

Preparation time:20 minutes

Serves:2

Ingredients:

Cooked spirali pasta( I got Del Monte brand)-2 cups

Chopped bell peppers(green,red,yellow)-1 cup

Finely chopped garlic-5 nos

Thinly sliced onion(lengthwise)-1 no

Rosemary -1 tsp

Basil-1 tsp

Crushed Pepper- 1 tsp

Tomato juice -made from 1 tomato

Chilli powder- 1 tsp

Garam masala( optional)- 1/2 tsp

Butter or Oil- 2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Procedure:

1.Cook the spirali pasta as per the instructions on the cover of pasta.

2.In a fry pan , heat oil and add onion and garlic.

3. After the garlic and onion are sautéed, add the bell peppers, salt,pepper,rosemary,basil and chilli powder.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Nothing tastes better with idli or dosa than a nice and tasty homemade idli podi(idli milagai podi).Soft idli dipped in idli podi and gingelly oil tastes like heaven and is suitable for a packed lunch anywhere.In my house I really get alarmed when this idli podi gets over as my son likes idli or dosa only with this idli podi. The measurement I ve posted gives nearly 3/4 kg of idli podi and assures you a minimum of month and a half supply.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

I often get confused what to pack for lunch for my kid. Variety rice is quite ideal for lunch boxes and kids too prefer them.My aunt used to make capsicum rice and it tasted lovely in spite of few ingredients.From then,this rice became my favorite and I make it regularly.Here is the quick capsicum rice which is very easy to prepare and tastes really good too.You can have it with a simple raita or potato curry or any roasted vegetable.You can also try it with colored bell peppers.

Preparation time:25 minutes

Serves :2

Ingredients:

Cooked rice- made from 1 cup of rice

Capsicum(chopped)-3 nos

Chopped onion-1

Jeera-1 tsp

Chilli powder-1 tsp( adjust to your need)

Salt-to taste

Oil- 2 tbsp

Coriander leaves- to garnish

Roasted bread cut into squares- 2 slices(optional)

Procedure:

1.Cook the rice in such a way they don't stick to each other( 1 cup rice- 2 cups water and 3 whistles in pressure cooker).

2.Heat oil in a kadai,add jeera and after it splutters add onion and sauté .

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

This is an authentic Tam Brahm recipe. Sundaikai(fresh one not vathal)is very healthy as it contains a lot of iron.That's why we put the vegetable after chopping in to the water as it gets oxidized very fast. Many people don't take it as they think it tastes bitter.Sundaikai when cooked properly in an appropriate recipe really tastes very good with 0% bitterness.I generally make either Sundaikai poricha kootu or Sundaikai vathakhuzhambu.This recipe is tangy and spicy and goes well paruppu podi rice or curd rice.

Preparation time:20 mins

Serves:2

Ingredients:

Sundaikai split into two or crushed slightly- 50 grams

Tamarind - lemon size

Sambar powder- 21/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

Hing-1 tsp

Gingelly oil-2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Jaggery- 1 tsp

To temper:

Mustard-1 tsp

Fenugreek - 1 tsp

Dry chillies- 2

Curry leaves-few

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a Kadai and add the tempering ingredients to it.

2.After it splutters,add the fresh split Sundaikai and sauté it in oil.

Monday, July 14, 2014

This is an ideal breakfast recipe as it keeps you full for longer and gets you going.Of course it's healthy when made using whole wheat bread.I generally prefer bread with some spicy dip or side dish and this recipe truly lives up to it. The addition of besan gives this dish the omelette feel.Kids would also like it a lot.Here goes the yummy and healthy breakfast recipe.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Well this one is my all time favorite . In fact during my college days it was my staple breakfast!I can live on curd rice to survive.The tempering on it renders it a unique and awesome taste.There are many variations of curd rice. The one I am posting now is very easy as well as a tasty one. The addition of ajwain makes it healthy too .Leftover rice can be transformed in to a heavenly meal and it is ideal as a lunchbox recipe.

Preparation time- 10 mins

Serves - 2

Ingredients:

Cooked rice- made from 1 cup rice

Cooking oil-1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 10 nos approximately

Ajwain or omam - 1/2 tsp

Hing - 1/2 tsp

Milk- 1 cup

Thick curd- 1/2 cup

Salt- to taste

Procedure:

1.In a Kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds and ajwain.

2. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and sauté it till they become crisp.

3. Switch off the flame and add this tadka to the cooked rice. Add salt and hing also to the rice and mix well.

4.The curry leaves should breakdown into bits when you mix it with rice.

5.Add milk and curd to the rice and mix well. Serve it with any pickle or vathakhuzhambu of your choice.

Tips:

*Cook the rice till they are really soft and could be mashed.

* Before adding milk or curd mix the rice with tadka as the flavours infuse better.

When it comes bisibelebath I always start drooling! It takes me back to my childhood days when my mom makes it for me. It used to be the ultimate bisibelebath! My mom makes the best. She actually prepares the sambar separately so that the bisibelebath doesn't go dry after it cools down and the separate sambar can be added to the rice and dal mixture before serving to make it the right consistency. Even during my pregnancy I craved for bisibelebath.

I am basically from Coimbatore and ask anyone there about the restaurant Annapoorna , they will know it. They are famous for their bisibelebath every Sunday and there used to be a huge queue every Sunday just for this particular item which is served with vadams and a big helping of ghee on top.

The recipe I am posting here is basically my mom's with light modifications made by me. Thanks to my friend vidya from bangalore whose authentic bisibelebath inspired me to tailor my recipe. Bisibelebath with vadams and curd rice makes a wonderful and delicious meal.Whatever be it, the final outcome is awesome!!!

Preparation time - 20 minutes

Cooking time - 30 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients:

Rice -1 cup(I use the one which comes with electric rice cooker)

Toor dal- 1 cup

Small onions- 10 to 12 nos

Tomato- 1 medium size

Peas,diced carrots,drumstick pieces- 100 gms

Tamarind- small lemon size

Curry leaves- a small bunch

Hing- 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp

Salt- to taste

Jaggery - 1 tsp

Cooking Oil- 2 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves- to garnish

To dry roast and grind :

Channa dal- 2 tbsp

Red chillies-10 ( adjust according to your need)

Corriandar seeds- 1 1/2 tbsp

Peppercorns - 1/2 tsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon stick-1/2 inch

Cardamom- 1 no

Cloves - 1 no

Copra/dessicated coconut - 50 gm

Khus khus or poppy seeds- 1 tsp

Curry leaves- few

Dry roast (except copra) and grind everything to a fine paste.

Procedure:

1. Pressure cook rice and toor dal in 4 cups water for 5 whistles and simmer for 10 mins.

3.After the mustard seeds pop, add small onions and sauté for a minute followed by peas, carrot and drumstick.

4.Add 1 cup of water and add turmeric powder, hing and salt.

5.Let the vegetables get cooked to 3/4th, now add tamarind juice and let it boil for 10 mins in medium flame.

6.Now add the ground paste and jaggery and let it continue on flame for another 5 minutes.

7.Add the mashed rice and dal mixture to this sambar. Make sure there are no lumps and also keep a little portion of this sambar separately so that it can be added to the bisibelebath before serving.It ensures that the bisibelebath doesn't thickens.

8.Garnish it with coriander leaves and ghee.Serve hot with vadams or papad or chips or potato roast or boondi raita.

Tips:

* You can add roasted cashews for garnishing.

*If still your bisibelebath thickens after it cools down add hot water and adjust salt accordingly.Never add cold water as it brings down the taste and flavors.

*Rice and dal must be cooked till they can be mashed together to give a smooth texture.Nobody prefers a bisibelebath where one can count the grains in it.